One of the best features of the iPhone X is its ability to recognize a person’s hand gestures and respond to them in real time, taking hands-free technology to a level never before seen. While many Android users might feel left out of this breakthrough, don’t despair just yet. The fact is, Android devices already have this feature, too.
As Computer World points out, there are numerous apps available right now that bring gesture controls to Android systems. The site recommends one in particular simply known as Gesture Control. Available as both a free and paid app for a cost of $3.49, it offers a wide variety of features with few drawbacks.
When first running it, Gesture Control will ask for authorization as an accessibility app. In order to use it, you must allow this, as it’s necessary to be able to control functions like the Home button. This will not allow it to transmit any data from your device, though, as it is unable to connect to a network and does not even list the feature as an option in the permissions menu.
Once permission is granted, using the app is fairly simple, though it might need some getting used to just like any hands-free technology. Control of the app takes place primarily at the bottom center of the screen. Swiping up will allow you to return to the home screen on your phone, while swiping left will left you move back a page. Additionally, swiping up and holding your finger down will allow you to use the Overview function.
There is also room for customization. Another menu within the app will allow you to set what gesture corresponds to which action, even letting you record new gestures entirely to personalize the app’s functions to your needs. Doing this will also allow you to map gestures to different functions not mentioned previously, such as opening new windows or activating split screen mode.
It should be noted, however, that activating Gesture Control will not turn off functionality for your Android device’s on-screen buttons, meaning you will get no additional screen space when activating this mode and would need to hide it using your phone’s own settings if available. A black bar will also appear at the bottom of the screen by default to indicate you’ve activated Gesture Control, though this can be turned off in the settings.
With so few negatives and such a small price, it’s hard to argue that Gesture Control doesn’t create parity between Apple and Android, at least in terms of hands-free control.
